The Journey
by The Gray Wolf
Summary: Atriel is out to get revenge on the Wolf Mother and her family for killing his friends. Will the wolves escape in time? -more to come-


She panted, and continued running. No! This couldn't be happening! Not yet not so soon! She panted, letting her tongue hang out the side of her mouth, running to catch up with the Mother Wolf. She had thought killing the soliders would have been enough of a warning to ward them away from the prescious home. But, alas, no. The one that had survived had come back, stronger then ever, as a captain of his own small group. They were good with bows and swords and at any sight of a wolf like herself, they would shoot. Even the pups! She hung her head low as she ran, her nose twitching slightly. Where would the Mother Wolf take them..? She flattened her ears and came side by side with the Alpha wolf Jara. She whined and looked up at him, her amber eyes flashing briefly. Jara wasn't an alpha wolf for no reason. He was big, and everytime he ran you could see the muscles ripple under his pelt. But he wasn't only Alpha Wolf because of his musclarity, there was also his intelligence. He wasn't the smartest of all the wolves, no, the title went to his mate Nuta. But still, he was pretty intelligent for one of his stature and reputation. She whined more and looked a head of herself. She then turned her head to the side, twitching her ears at him. "Jara.." Jara's black fur twinkled as he turned gracefully to the side. "Something wrong Melody?" She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "No, nothing at all. That's why were running as fast as we can away from the forest we call home!" Jara sighed and turned away. "Sorry Melody. I know. I just try not to think about it, ya know?" Melody pricked her ears for a moment, and turned to the side. "Yeah I know. Your trying to stay happy so your pack won't fall." Jara grinned at her as much as a wolf could grin and nodded. "If the Alpha of a pack is in bad spirits, the pack is affected deeply. Then we won't get anything done and the Mother Wolf will be sad and not be able to help us." Melody looked at him struck dumb. Wow! No wonder why Nuta picked him. She felt a bit better now. She loped happily beside him, wagging her tail slightly. The Wolf Mother's "Brothers" were all growling and upset as they ran. But unlike the rest of the wolves, they were half man. Cursed by a Wizard trying to get revenge on The Wolf Mother by harming people she cared about. For many years she had been wanting to help them break the curse so they could just be man again, but she had no clue where to start.

The "Brothers" were Aragog, Blackstreak, Swiftrunner, Orgen, Flashpaw, Thornfang, and the youngest who was called Valdaglerion which in elf meant "Worthy of praise". The Wolf Mother looked over her shoulder at them, and sighed, hanging her head. She knew they should of finished Atriel off when they had had the chance. But he had escaped thanks to his luck. She stopped and turned to all the wolves and Wolfmen, lifting her snout to the vibrant sky and let loose a long, sad, drawn out howl. The wolves and the Wolfmen joined in, there howls matching the same not as hers, some deeper or higher pitched then her's. Any that were in hearing range could hear the haunting melody of there sad song. The notes carried across the wind, taunting the woodland creatures, and the one that wanted to destroy there homes. Atriel. Atriel growled and stabbed the point of his sword in the ground. "Lord Nagrassi.." Nagrassi lifted an eyebrow at him. "Yes Atriel?" Atriel's blue eyes flickered and snarled. "I want no wolf or Wolfman spared. Kill them all. There murderers. Ilda and Denga would still be alive if not for them." Lord Nagrassi nodded. "Your orders will be carried out Sir Atriel. Let us rest before we start the battle." Atriel turned to him and nodded. "Good idea. Were going to need the energy if we want to fight them." A small, lithe elf girl looked at the both of them and coughed. "If I may say something Lord Nagrassi and Sir Atriel?" Both men looked at her and frowned. Elves weren't quite respected by men, seeming they were short, and too smart some could swear. The elf girl curtsied slightly, and let her green eyes rest on them. "I think fighting the Wolf Mother and her family is like fighting with shadows. It can't be done." Atriel and Nagrassi both laughed so hard tears came to there eyes. Nagrassi lifted his hand and paused and took a breath. "Miss Taylor, your wrong. She can be killed but because of the tales your race tells everyone thinks shes some ghost." Atriel laughed even more. "Ha! Good one Taylor!" Taylor frowned and shook her head. "You'll meet your death if you fight her." Nagrassi grinned. "Not this time. We got a lot of men." Taylor snapped at him. "Wolves have claws and teeth and they move way faster then you all can!" With that, she turned her back, and strode off, clearly pissed off. Nagrassi and Atriel kept straight faces until she was out of view and both burst out laughing again. Ah! She cracked them up. They would defeat the Mother Wolf. Or so they thought.

The Wolf Mother closed her jaws and looked at her family. "We are at the edge of our beloved Wilds. I am sad to say we are to leave and embark on a new journey, one that will help us find a new home." Arc, Jara's son, whined. "But my family has always lived here! All the way back to my forefather Finn." The Wolf Mother looked at Arc lovingly and nodded. "I know Arc. I know you will miss it, but unless you want to die and not have any future generations wandering around, then you may stay." Arc looked at his paws and whined sadly. Kaido, his brother, nudged the white wolf lightly, his amber eyes full of sympathy. The Wolf Mother looked upon both white wolves fondly, and sighed again, looking behind her. Aragog growled, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why don't we just fight them?" A small, lithe, female wolf barked up. "Because there is more then fourscore! They want to kill us all. I heard Ghana talk about how he over heard one of them say that there going to try to get rid of us all. Spare no wolf nor wolfman!" The Wolf Mother looked at Ghana. "Is what Morgana say is true?" Ghana lowered his head and nodded. "Aye Mother Wolf, heard 'em bright as day say it so I did." The Wolf Mother whined scaredly. "When did they say they were coming to attack us?" Ghana pointed his nose at the moon. "Tomorrow at dawn." The Wolf Mother barked roughly and turned around, ready to spring. "Move! Now! Dawn isn't to far off! Move, move! Pick up the pups, help the elders, just get moving as fast as you can!" The wolves and wolfmen did as they were bid, picking up pups, and helping the elders. The wolves moved swiftly, in a line, the Wolf Mother in the lead and Jara being last watching to make sure no one strayed behind. Melody kept her head low, again the sadness washing over. Her beloved home..the forest she had grown up in..where she had caught her first elk, where she had first learned to swim, where she had first walked. Her home was now to become a distant memory, something that would be thought of but never talked about. Arc stayed by his brother, whining softly to himself. Kaido nuzzled him softly as they walked, trying to keep him walking, wanting to try to make his sibling better. There sisters. Illona and Tindra kept by them too, looking around excitedly but sad at the same time. Illona, like her brother, had the soft white fur. Tindra was more like her dad, the silky black fur, but with a patch of white on her chest. The pups Iggy and Talon ran in circles around their mother's heels. Boy were they excited! They were going on an adventure!

Atriel grinned lying on his blanket in Lord Nagrassi's tent. Everything would work out smoothly. The wolves and the dreaded Wolf Mother would be all vanquished, and he would have revenge on her for killing Ilda and Denga. Boy was life starting to smile on him. He grinned and dug his hand into his knapsack, pulling out an apple and polishing it on his tunic. Yep! 'Twas grand indeed. He took a bite, letting the juices dribble down his chin. Nagrassi grinned at him and laughed, watching him admiringly. "I take it your itching to do battle?" Atriel gave him a cocky grin and nodded. "'Course m'lord. I shall revenge the death's of my comrades." Nagrassi yawned and put out the lantern. "Well, time to get to bed. G'night Sir Atriel." Atriel laid down on his blanket and laughed. "Good night m'lord." Atriel closed his eyes and yawned, drifing off into the land of dreams. Taylor made sure she heard Nagrassi and Atriel were both sound asleep before she slipped into the tent. She was accompanied by a golden retriever, and a dwarf. She kneeled down by Atriel and carefully removed his sword, handing it to the dwarf who already was carrying half the army's weapons. The golden retriever wagged its tail, twitching it's ears at Taylor and it's master Vann. Taylor then stole Nagrassi's and tossed it to Vann. "We got the weapons. If they can't fight no one will fight. Now for the last thing since they set up those traps for the wolves if they tried to escape." She turned to the golden retriever and patted it's head and whispered softly. "Go Goldburn, go help lead the wolves away from the traps. Help them." Goldburn wagged his tail and looked at Vann. Vann sighed and patted his head. "Incase you decide you are to stay with the wolves, here's one last treat." He pulled a small piece of smoked deer meat, and gave it to Goldburn. Goldburn ate it gracefully, shoving his snout under his hand for one last pet. Vann wiped at the tears from his eyes, and patted Goldburn on his head. "Adarn watch over you little fellow." The trio slipped out of the tent, all quite happy with themselves. Taylor pointed at the forest. "Go, go find them, help them. Go Goldburn, go!" Goldburn wagged his tail and whined one last time, before taking off, his paws flying. Taylor and Vann both looked at eachother. Vann whined a tad. "You think we did the right thing?" Taylor grinned. "I know we did the right thing." 


End file.
